The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-06-12
THE STORY or IHEARKANSAs.

The model OF the Arkansas was
combination of the fiat bottomed
boats OF the West and the keel built
steamers designed for navigation in
deep waters. Her bow was made
sharp, and her stem tapered, so as to
permit the waters to close readily
behind her. la the center of her
hull she WAS very broad and of great
capacity, and for nearly eighty feet
Icing the middle was nearly fat bot
tened. Her engines we're low press
are, and her two propellers acted in
depeBdently. 1t is said she also had
q steam hose apparatus by which she
csuld repel boarders-s novelty FIRST
introduced in naval warfare. The
Msn mail OF the Arkansas was OF or
binary railway iron running horizon
tally, Of q single thickness. The
quarter and stern had thin coating
Of boilor iron. The wheel was within
che shield, but the top OF the pilot
houso, two feet above the shield
deck, and through which the pilot
locked while steering, was in an an
finished state, having bar iron over
il. The top of the shield was fat
and covered with inch bar iron.
The constructors design was to have
made the shield OF the gun box" as
Commander Brown called his
vessel, solid fore and att, with
side batteries only, and with an
nsn beak for ramming. This plan was
somewhat changed by Commander
Brown, so far as TO admit of two guns
forward and two aft, with three on
each broadside. This gave her a
battery OF ten guns, four OF them
mounted on railroad iron chassis, and
the six broadsidc guns on carriages
constructed at Canton. Notwith-
standing the use OF every available
means the Arkansas could not be
made available for service before it
became necessary, on account of the
rapidly receding waters in the YaZoo,
to move the ram down the river,
across Saiartia bar, below which
there was deep water. This was on
the 18th OF July, six weeks after be-
ginning work on the mere hull at
Greenwood. Lieut.. G. W. Read
was sent with one of the pilots to
sound the bar at Satartia. They
found plenty of water TOT
the Arkansas, but the pilot
reported that il the river continued
TO tall as it had been doing for sew
'eral days, in five more days there
would not be enough for the ram tt
get down. The man who placed tn,
distractions in the river said the,
could not he moved inside of week
Lieut.. Brown ius'ruc.ed Lieut.
Grimball, Git aud Read to examin,
the distractions aud report it It wa
practicable 10 remove them, 80 as /,
allow the Arkansas to pass through
and il 50. in what time the work coul,
be done. The officers visited tn
raj 3, aud after a careful examination
reported that they could be remove,
in less than half an hour.
As soon as Lieutenant Commando
Brown received this information h
decided to consult with Major Gen
eral Earl Van Dorm, commandiu
the defeuscs of Vicksburg, and VIII
had received authority from Presi
dent Davis 10 use the Arkausas q
part Of his force. Lieut.. CIV. Rea
was dispatched to Nicksburg to cx
plain the position OF the Arkansa
aud to ask tor instructions. He WI
also directed to roconnOiter the pos
ton OF the enemy's fleets aboy
Vicksburg. Lieut. Read set out o
his mission, riding all nlght-sOu
ffty miles-and arrived at the rer
erals headquarters about s O'cloc
on the following morning ard deliV
cred his MESSAGE. Gen. Van Dor
wrote letter to Lieut.. Brown, i
which he said that thirty seven vel
sells OF the enemy were in sight frol
Vicksburg, and plenty more up tn
river" hut believed the Arkanss
could run past them. He therefor
commanded Lieut., Brown to take h
vessel through the raft at Hahn,
Bluff, and after sinking the CoufeC
crate steamer Star OF the West
in the opening of the Instructions, {
20 out OF the YazOo and attack tn
upper feet OF the enemy, to th
cover of the VickSburg batteries.
The Yazoo empties into an o.
channel OF the Mississippi, twely
miles above the city OF VicksburJ
ard this old channel runs into b
main river, three miles below til
mouth of the Yazoo. la order I
reach the landing and get und,
cover Of the Confederate battcri,
on shore il was necessary Tor Con
mander Brown 30 pass HIS vessel /
no less iban forty Of the moi
formidable soops, gur boats, .rau
and napeports then ia the service
the United States navy.
On the night of the l4th two d,
serters from the Arkansas came O
board the United States guubo,
ESSEX, and stated that the Arkansl